Capital budget 8/23
The second budget workshop was held tonight.
First up was Parks & Rec. Their main project is the ballfields which, based on discussions tonight, don't seem to have much support among the Council members. In fact, the Town Manager offered some alternatives to the $1.6 million request. Rather he's now requesting $240k to finish the 90ft diamond at Bartlem, upgrade the often soaked Mixville field, build a field on Cheshire Park's "goat pasture," and add parking at Mac/Legion. This makes a heck of a lot more sense to me than asking the voters if they want to spend $1,600,000. As I've said, $1.6million for two ballfields is too much money. I expect this $240k will be in the capital budget.
Public property is a "department" that is run by public works for the most part. It's basically where town buildings get accounted for within the town budget. And they requested a couple hundred thousand dollars for a few different things that made sense from a maintenance perspective.
The Fire Department is requesting money for a few different projects. The big enchilada though is $1.4million for an expansion to the southend firehouse. At first, I was taken aback, as it included things such as a "weight room." So I asked and got an answer that made a lot of sense. Basically, there's no significant changes happening except for an addition of two bays and some things happening to upgrade to current requirements. I also asked if we are looking at the "lifecycle costs" of this project. I was assured that we are. (I already knew the answer from working with the Energy Commission, but still wanted to ask "on the record.")
I'll make sure to try to get the Chief to the meetings next Monday/Tuesday. I expect that anyone who's reviewed the plans would have questions, but the Chief's explanations are good ones. I expect this will be in the capital budget and will go to referendum.
Land acquisition includes $1,000,000 for open space in the five year budget. Frankly, I don't think open space would pass at referendum if it was up this year. But since this is not in the current year budget, I'm not particularly concerned about this.
Economic development included the $850k for West Main Street, $500k of which will come from our state tax dollars, not our local tax dollars. And if Connecticut's hardest working State Representative, Al Adinolfi, gets his way, the town may get the balance of this project paid for through state tax dollars. I realize that it's just a matter of which pocket the taxes are coming from, but... it's also a reflection of what a hard working State Rep can do.
The Energy Commission requested $125k for some energy improvements at the pool. The details of which are somewhat complicated, but the bottom line is straightforward. The payback is estimated at less than seven years and is not expected to conflict with any recommendations that may come from a pool consultant. I'm guessing this will be included in the capital budget.
The Superintendent of Schools presented the BOEs request. Their request includes a whole bunch of infrastructure improvements, from windows to boilers and from roofs to gymnasiums. All of it made sense and most of it related to energy in some way. The energy requests went so far as a $100,000 for a study/consultant to lead into a $1,900,000 project next year. Personally, I think this makes a lot of sense. Energy costs are rising so fast, lots of energy-efficiency projects that had been cost-prohibitive are now cost-effective.
The big question for the schools was the $1,500,000 smartboard project. It's a nicety, not a necessity. I think doing some sort of scaled back project could make sense. We could reduce the number as low as $350k and still send it to the voters. I think that would make sense. And following on the heels of my questions about "lifecycle costs" of this project (estimated at $35-50k annually), as well as my desire to fully cost all of the "capital budget" projects and include them in the "operating budgets" of the various departments, one council member pointed out that if we do this entire project, the cost of this project would near $200k annually.
The meeting was supposed to end with the Police Department. But they don't have much in the budget, so the Town Manager addressed it himself.
Any thoughts on the capital budget?
Tim White
Town Council, Budget Committee
TimWhite98@yahoo.com
4 comments:
I agree with you, Tim, on the ballfield issue. No way should we spend 1.6 million on new fields. Finish the diamond at Bartlem, fix up Mixville's field, and add parking at McNamara. I watched a adult softball game at Cheshire Park tonight and there were no other teams using any of the remaining fields there.
If the fire dept. really needs two more bays that sounds fine, but I don't understand the weight room request. Is it a necessity?? I doubt it.
And we don't need 1.5 million dollars worth of Smartboards. Maybe a few, but not one in every class or 300 as I believe I heard. Stick to the good old blackboards as a "smartboard" won't make a student any "smarter" and I would bet many teachers (especially the older ones) would have lots of trouble operating them.
anon... I had the same questions/concerns about the fire station. What I'll say is this... the Fire Chief had (what I thought were) very good reasons for what was happening. But I won't be able to do it justice here. So I'll be sure to get the Chief to at least Monday's public hearing and hopefully Tuesday's Council meeting. It'd be much easier to hear it from him than from me.
As for the smartboards, see my post from tonight. I (and the full Council seem to) agree that 300 (that's the right number... one for each classroom) is unnecessary.
The fire department request is out of line. Way too much money for such an expansion. Where is the justification by accpeted standards that tells us we have to expand? What is the justification the fire dept uses to increase the number of apparatus we have? According to insurance standards Towns are supposed to miantain a certian amount of trucks & equipment to earn a ranking for fire protection. What is Cheshire's ranking, what is the impact on fire insurance premiums to the average household? Don't try to scare us by saying our rates will increase if we don't give the fire dept everything they want. Put the data on the table.
The Fire dept is setting us up for the request to become a paid dept.If that happens we will all have to move out because the taxes will ioncrease so much we can't afford to live here.
We have a paid Chief and other paid positions, the departments cars are being used for personal travel; seen at Stop & Shop buying groceries, taking kids to school etc. This use should be stopped. The idea of having a Public Safety Commission to overlook the Police dept maide some sense, to overlook the Fire Dept is the reason for charter change to implement the Public Safety Commission.
Here is an example, just in the past few years the Fire Dept ha started to track the number of calls they go on for pumping out basements. to track it is fine, to show where labor and expenses are going. It will be used to attempt to justify more paid staff, more equipment because they will say they are going to more calls. People who require the dept for basement pumping should be charged for the service.
Why is it when we buy a new truck we have to have all new equipment, such as axes, chain saws. What happened to all of the old equipment we had, it is in storage at the stations. We should ask for an inventory of all equipment. As one dept member has told me we have more chain saws than Home Depot.
The fire department request is out of line. Way too much money for such an expansion. Where is the justification by accpeted standards that tells us we have to expand? What is the justification the fire dept uses to increase the number of apparatus we have? According to insurance standards Towns are supposed to miantain a certian amount of trucks & equipment to earn a ranking for fire protection. What is Cheshire's ranking, what is the impact on fire insurance premiums to the average household? Don't try to scare us by saying our rates will increase if we don't give the fire dept everything they want. Put the data on the table.
The Fire dept is setting us up for the request to become a paid dept.If that happens we will all have to move out because the taxes will increase so much we can't afford to live here.
We have a paid Chief and other paid positions, the departments cars are being used for personal travel; seen at Stop & Shop buying groceries, taking kids to school etc. This use should be stopped. The idea of having a Public Safety Commission to overlook the Police dept maide some sense, to overlook the Fire Dept is the reason for charter change to implement the Public Safety Commission.
Here is an example, just in the past few years the Fire Dept ha started to track the number of calls they go on for pumping out basements. To track it is fine, to show where labor and expenses are going. It will be used to attempt to justify more paid staff, more equipment because they will say they are going to more calls. People who require the dept for basement pumping should be charged for the service.
Why is it when we buy a new truck we have to have all new equipment, such as axes, chain saws. What happened to all of the old equipment we had, it is in storage at the stations. We should ask for an inventory of all equipment. As one dept member has told me we have more chain saws than Home Depot.
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